2001 Toyota Forerunner - Transmission Issues

Sounds like you lost your rear output from the transfer case or more likely your rear differential lost something inside it and is letting the rear drive shaft freewheel now.

Have someone look underneath while it is in 2WD and see if the drive shaft turns. If so the rear differential or a broken rear axle is the problem.

Off-topic.

Also change your brake lines! I had a great 1996 4Runner until the brake lines both failed. I am lucky to tell about it.

Cheers

Vince

Once you fix this propblem trade it off for an old Jeep Cherokee. There are after market parts for them everywhere. They could be the cheapest in the world thing to keep on the road in a long term way.

What was the cure on the Cav?

When I was just a younger irresponsible person, we had a friend that worked nights at a gas station. They had an old Jeep with a 4 cyl engine that all of us would drive to death. It was not uncommon to break an axle or the spider gears in the rear end. When that would happen, we would just shift it into 4wd, and return to the station. Park and say nothing. Let the next guy find it and tell the boss. The bad part was when you went to put it in 4wd, and found it was already in 4wd. The owners were sure to be yelling for days.

Who else drives the truck? Do your children have the ability to drive it?

It is probably an axle or the spiders in the back. The clue was the grinding when you put it in park. That was the sound of the driveshaft spinning when the parking pall was engaged. Good luck.

The cure on the Cav was the fuel pump electrical connection that was behind the kick panel in the driver's side footwell (the panel right behind the lever to open the hood). The power line for the pump must have over heated at some point and burned the inside of the connector where it went through (there are about 5 wires going through the one connector). I cut the power line from the connector and spliced it together by itself, and have had no issues since. Whew, what a silly ordeal.

Between you and the other post, I will begin by checking the movement of the rear driveshaft and go from there. I will post again when I get a chance to check it out. Good to hear from you again Bob, hope all is well in sunny (if not freezing) Florida!

Weather is down in the high 40s. This year has had the most cold days I can remember. We had some snow flurries in Fort Lauderdale last week.

Connections on high powered items are always a concern. Were you able to find it yourself? the good thing is that you will never again have to look for a spot to test for a bad pump.

Hello, Shakejac, First off the grinding noise you heard when in 2wd, when you shifting back into park was from the parking paw in the transmission trying to engage it's "parking gear". The rotating mass of several gears and stuff in the trans, transfer case and /or drive shaft was spinning freely letting the parking gear spin. The same thing can happen it the transfer case is in neutral and you shift the trans from park or neutral back into park. The trans need some sort of resistance to keep from "free spinning" on the output side of the trans. So the trans most likely NOT the problem.

You also said you put it in park and then got out and push it out of the parking space then tried shifting through the gears to "see" if it would work.

If what you said about putting it in park and pushing it means there a problem from the transfer case through the rear drive shaft to the rear axle assembly. You should Not have been able to move the vehicle by hand if it was in park. Unless your superman. So that most likely something is broken behind the trans or possibility out of adjustment.

Now, this limits it to a few areas that can cause this problem. Also you did not said there was any problem/noise before you parked.

So first problem; as someone said the rear differential, the ring/pinion gears broken/strip, most likely not you would have hear/felt it if they had failed. Second thing in the dif. could be the ring carrier with the spiders gears. Someone said this could be the problem. Same thing as before you would hear/felt it if they had failed. Third thing could be either one of the axle shafts. This could possibility fail if it was on the verge of failing, twisted with a crack. You have not told us if you or someone else drives it or four wheels with the vehicle.

First thing CHOCK THE FRONT WHEELS BOTH FOR FORWARD AND REVERSE MOVEMENT OF THE VEHICLE BEFORE GETTING UNDER THE VEHICLE!!!!!

Now that the vehicle is chock. look under it, is the rear drive shaft under the vehicle and intact. (It could have been stolen).

Both rear wheels on ground, parking brake OFF, transfer case in 2wd, trans in park, engine off. Ok, go under vehicle take hold of drive shaft and turn it one way or the other "does not matter". The drive shaft should only move very little either way (normal free play).

Now put transfer case in Neutral and repeat the above test. If same results,good. Jack up both rear wheels till off the ground and put transfer case in 2wd. Repeat test. If same results, that good, it most likely rules out any problems from transmission back through the rear drive shaft. The only other problem that could be in the transfer case is the 2wd to 4wd linkage play/adjustment/wear and the transfer case had been in neutral that day. Since were this far lets test the rear axle.

First take hold of one of the wheels and spin it while looking at the other wheel while your spinning the wheel. Is the other wheel turning one way or the other? If not, put transfer case in neutral then turn drive shaft does either wheel turn? If not.

Then the rear end is the problem. Now if there is a cover on the back of the diff. Good, Have a oil drain pan handy remove cover leave top bolt in but loose keeps the mess down when draining the gear oil out. Look for metal in the bottom of the axle housing. Look at all the gears for damage as you Rotate drive shaft while looking to see if the center section turns, if it turns see if either wheel moves? If not set the gear carrier where you can see the little spider gears inside then turn either wheel while watching the spider gears if they turn but the other wheel does not most likely the other axle shaft is broken.

Some of the Toyoda's don't have the removable covers. Instead the entire differential ring/pinion and all come out the front of the axle (It's heavy). Only after the axles have been pulled out. With this type you get to check the axles first. The test on the carrier is basely the same as the other info.

Hope this helps.

Let us know what you find.

Charles